Do You Know the 6 Types of Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a service that leases optimized servers for your websites to show them to visitors.
A web server (or web host) can be thought of as the machine where our website resides. Internet users enter a URL to visit a website. This URL is a kind of address for our web server, and the web server sends the web page files (HTML, CSS, etc.) to the users.
Famous web hosting services in Korea include Cafe 24 and Gabia. Also famous overseas web hosting services include Nexcess, Cloudways, Hostinger, and GoDaddy.
If you are looking for the right web hosting solution, check out SaaStack’s web hosting solution comparison content.
Web Hosting Service Types
There are six types of web hosting services:
- Free hosting
- Shared hosting
- VPS hosting
- Cloud hosting
- Dedicated hosting
- Co-location hosting
Free Hosting
Free hosting services are provided at no cost by large, well-known web hosting companies. Typically, the number of web pages you can have is limited. Most of the time, you cannot have your own domain address, and an address with the hosting company’s branding (e.g., yoursite.tistory.com) is automatically assigned.
Free Hosting Services: x10Hosting, AwardSpace, 000webhost
Advantages:
- Free
Disadvantages:
- Lack of customer support
- Data transfer limitations due to insufficient bandwidth
- Limited control over the website
Shared Hosting
Multiple websites are hosted on a single web server. It’s like several residents living in a multi-family house. If the house has one elevator, it can be hard to use during rush hours; similarly, because you share one web server with many others, the server speed can slow down.
Shared Hosting Solutions: Bluehost, Hostgator, GoDaddy
Advantages:
- Affordable
- Suitable for trying out a website for the first time
- Full control over website settings
- 24/7 technical support
Disadvantages:
- Slower server speed due to sharing
- Data transfer limitations due to bandwidth sharing
- Higher security risks
- Performance of other sites on the server can affect your site
VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server Hosting)
VPS hosting operates multiple virtual web servers on a single physical web server through virtualization solutions. Unlike shared hosting, where server resources are shared with other websites, VPS hosting allocates dedicated server resources to each website. Users can make server-level configurations, such as installing firewalls or mail servers, which are not possible with shared hosting.
VPS Hosting Services: Liquid Web, Hostinger, Bluehost, Hostgator, GoDaddy
Advantages:
- Faster than shared hosting
- Affordable
- Easy to scale up
Disadvantages:
- More expensive than shared hosting
- Requires some server-related knowledge
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is similar to VPS hosting, but instead of relying on a physical server, it is based on multiple servers connected across a wide area. Because the servers are widely distributed, data can be dispersed and served to customers more efficiently. Unlike VPS hosting, which has bandwidth and data transfer limitations, cloud hosting can flexibly expand bandwidth and data transfer using multiple servers, so there are no limitations.
Cloud Hosting Services: Cloudways, Hostgator, GoDaddy, InMotion Hosting
Advantages:
- Fast
- Strong technical support from the hosting provider
- Ability to use own email solution
- Full access to the server
Disadvantages:
- Relatively expensive
- May require technical knowledge to manage the server
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is a service where you can use an entire web server for yourself. You can also host multiple websites on one server. It is suitable for mature blogs or websites expecting high traffic. It is also more reasonable in terms of maintenance and costs for large companies compared to installing physical servers in their offices.
Dedicated Hosting Services: Liquid Web, Bluehost, Hostgator, GoDaddy, InMotion Hosting
Advantages:
- Fast
- Strong technical support from the hosting provider
- Ability to use own email solution
- Full access to the server
Disadvantages:
- Relatively expensive
- May require technical knowledge to manage the server
Co-location Hosting
Co-location hosting involves installing a physical server provided by the user at the hosting provider’s facility (data center), where the provider offers internet connection and maintenance. It is similar to dedicated hosting in other aspects. Large companies mainly use this solution.
Co-location Hosting Services: InterServer, Kinsta
Advantages:
- High bandwidth (ability to transfer more data to many users)
- Excellent uptime (time the server is operational and available)
- Superior security
Disadvantages:
- Very expensive
- Complex management, including setup and debugging
- Requires server experts
Which Hosting Should I Choose?
Which hosting type should you choose among the four mentioned above? It depends on your situation and needs.
I am just starting with WordPress. Shared Hosting WordPress should be viewed from a long-term perspective. It takes a long journey to get exposure in search engines. You need to install WordPress, make minimal custom settings, and then plan and create content. It can take from at least three months to as long as one to two years to show noticeable results.
Therefore, it is okay to use free hosting to test your WordPress ideas or check if WordPress suits you. However, the fact that you cannot connect your domain address makes it unsuitable for those who want to operate WordPress seriously. Also, hosting companies insert ads on your site or expose their brand in exchange for free services.
Hence, shared hosting is recommended for those who are starting with WordPress. Initially, it is hard to generate a lot of traffic, so cost is more important than server performance. Shared hosting is very affordable because you share one server with several other sites. Bluehost, one of Forbes’ best-shared hosting services, offers a low cost of $2.95 per month, including a free domain and SSL for one year.
I want to take WordPress operations seriously. Dedicated Hosting If you are serious about operating WordPress, choose dedicated hosting. Most hosting providers have various paid plans, allowing you to upgrade from shared hosting to dedicated hosting flexibly. Dedicated hosting offers better performance and speed for websites than shared hosting, reducing visitor bounce rates. Website speed is closely related to SEO, so it is also advantageous for search engine exposure.
I want to operate multiple WordPress sites. Dedicated Hosting WordPress operators often run multiple sites because the topics they can cover are limited. To earn affiliate and advertising revenue, you need to create content on topics related to high-search-volume keywords through keyword research. You can discover various WordPress blog ideas during keyword research. Operating multiple sites might seem expensive, but with dedicated hosting, you can run as many sites as you want on one server. Cloudways allows you to install and run unlimited WordPress sites with a few clicks for the cost of one server. Therefore, costs are significantly reduced as you can create and operate multiple sites for the cost of one server.
Conclusion
We explored the six types of web hosting. Choose the appropriate web hosting type according to your website’s size, traffic, and purpose. If you are looking for a web hosting solution, check out SaaStack’s list of web hosting solutions and brief reviews. Thank you for reading the long article about.